


Luke and Leia Through the Years

by castles_and_crowns



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Han Solo makes appears occaisonally, Missing Moments, Post-Battle of Yavin, Post-Star Wars: A New Hope, Post-Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Post-Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Pre-Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Skywalker Family Feels, Space Twins, Twin bonding, battle of endor, mostly canon-compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-09 17:33:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11673843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castles_and_crowns/pseuds/castles_and_crowns
Summary: A compilation of missing moments set between the movies of the original trilogy starring our favorite space twins.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> These missing moments will be updated regularly. The moments don't happen in chronological order, but you'll be able to gauge when in the Star Wars timeline they take place.
> 
> Obviously, these are Lucasfilm's characters and not mine.

Han and Luke shared a small room on the rebel base on Yavin IV. They had gotten to know each other fairly well in the short period of time since they met. For instance, Han knew Luke was typically quiet and introspective, while Luke knew Han was flirtatious scoundrel, who managed to flirt openly with all the women on the base, except the one he was actually interested in.

Since blowing up the Death Star, Luke hadn’t seen much of the princess. She attended high-level meetings that Luke didn’t have clearance for. Han told him that he saw her occasionally in the mess hall, but that she typically seemed to keep to herself. This didn’t really surprise Luke though. Unlike Han, who was older and more mature, Leia and Luke were both young and surrounded by people who were much older than they were.

This particular night, Han was not in their quarters, so Luke had the room to himself. He kept himself occupied by playing complicated solo card games that Wedge Antilles had taught him days before. He was in the middle of a very intense game when there was a knock on his door.

“Come in,” Luke shouted, not bothering to look up from his cards.

The door opened, and in walked Princess Leia, looking as regal and as beautiful as ever.

Luke spotted her out of the corner of his eye and immediately stood up. “Forgive me, Princess. I didn’t realize that it was you.”

Leia smiled. “No bother. Please, sit back down.”

Luke sat back down on his bunk.

“Mind if I join you?”

Luke blushed. “Sure.” He scooted over on the bed to make room for Leia.

“I’ve come to inform you that you, Han, and Chewbacca will be receiving medals for your service to the Rebellion.”

“Really?” Luke responded, not bothering to hide his enthusiasm.

“Really. I just ran into Han in the common area playing Sabacc and let him know. He wasn’t nearly as excited as you clearly are.”

“I’ve never been given a medal for anything before,” Luke said, tempering his excitement.

“No, I think it’s great that you’re excited,” Leia replied, putting a hand on Luke’s shoulder. 

Luke glanced down at Leia’s touch and fought back the feelings that were bubbling up inside him.

“You know, you should join Han sometimes out in the commons,” Leia commented, squeezing Luke’s shoulder and then removing her hand.

“I’ve thought about it,” Luke told her, “But I’m not like those guys.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, for one, they just seem so carefree and happy.”

“And you’re not like that?” Leia asked.

“I was,” Luke answered, looking down at his hands. “Before I lost my uncle, my aunt, and Ben. Now, everything is so…dark.”

Leia nodded knowingly. “I know how you feel.”

Of course, she did, Luke thought. How could he have been so foolish? She lost not only her parents, but also her entire planet. She was suffering too. And she certainly wasn’t letting it stop her from doing her duties.

“I’m sorry,” Luke said, ashamed that he couldn’t find better words.

Leia smiled softly. “It’s okay. We’re very similar, you and I.”

“We are?”

“Yes,” Leia continued. “We’re both on our own now. We’re both young. And we both don’t feel like we fit in here.”

“Wow,” Luke chuckled. “I guess we are similar.”

“You know, when my father was around, I had a very specific duty within the Rebellion. I’d help him carry out the missions he couldn’t do himself. But now that he’s gone, I often feel like I’m just in the way around here.”

Luke said nothing, so Leia continued.

“Sure, they invite me to the important meetings, sometimes they even take what I have to say into consideration. But through it all, I can’t help feel like they don’t know what to do with me now that my father’s gone.”

“You’re our figurehead now,” Luke told her. “You’re a princess—you’re our symbol of hope, our cheerleader.”

“I want to be more than that,” Leia confessed.

“Then keep going to those meetings. Keep contributing. As time goes on, things will feel more natural. You’re bound to take on a larger role.”

“You think?”

“I feel it,” Luke replied earnestly. And he did feel it, deep within himself. He couldn’t see into the future, but he sensed greatness in Leia that he didn’t sense in most others.

“Thank you, Luke. I appreciate that.”

Now it was Luke’s turn to smile. “You’re welcome, Princess.”

“About that,” Leia said. “Leia is fine. Not Princess, not Princess Leia. Leia.”

“You’re welcome, Leia,” Luke corrected.

“You know, if you ever feel like getting out of your room, maybe playing a game of cards, all you have to do is find me.”

Luke laughed. “Maybe we can even team up against Han and Wedge.”

“I suspect we’ll have to get a lot better first,” Leia smirked. “But hey, it’s worth a shot. The two kids against those two old men.”

“He calls me that all the time. Kid,” Luke said.

“Han? Yeah, I’ve heard him. You’re not that young, are you?”

“I’m nineteen,” Luke answered.

“So am I!” Leia exclaimed. 

“Well, look at that,” Luke chuckled. “Good to know we’re in this together.”

“Oh, we are,” Leia said, a wide grin on her face.

Luke looked at Leia, who held his gaze for a moment before smiling gently and breaking the eye contact. Leia ruffled Luke’s hair and then stood up. “Tomorrow you’ll receive the information about the medal ceremony. They’ll send a messenger with the details.”

“I look forward to it,” Luke told her as Leia walked to the door.

“Have a good night, Luke,” Leia said, her hand on the knob of the door.

“You too, Leia. See you soon.”


	2. Chapter 2

Leia, Luke, Chewbacca, Lando, and the droids had arrived on Tatooine, and they maintained residence on the Falcon during their stay. A few days after they arrived, Lando left to go infiltrate the Hutt palace. Soon after Luke left as well, only telling Leia that he hoped to be back in a standard week or two. In that interim, Leia and Chewie spent time together. Mostly, this time consisted of Chewie teaching Leia how to shoot various weapons (she particularly loved his bowcaster), and Leia asking Chewie more about his culture. Despite this convivial time, Leia had to admit she was happy to see Luke return—exactly two weeks after he left. 

Now, Luke, Leia, and Chewie were days a way from enacting their plan to rescue Han. One day, Chewie pulled Luke aside after dinner and had a surreptitious conversation with him. Leia watched as the two went into the storage area of the Millennium Falcon, and she speculated about what information was being shared between the two of them. When they finally returned, Chewie announced that he was taking the speeder into town to get a drink, and that he may not be back until morning.

After Chewbacca had left, Leia made a face at Luke. “What in the worlds was that about?”

“Do you want to go for a walk?” Luke replied, ignoring her inquisition.

“Are you going to answer my question?” Leia quipped back.

“Yeah. Let’s go for a walk.”

“What about the sandstorms?” Leia asked.

“They don’t come until late at night. The suns haven’t even set yet. And you really should see a Tatooine sunset. It’s one of the few good things about this place.”

Leia sighed. “Okay.”

Luke led Leia outside and they began to walk along the sand. At this point in their friendship, Leia was very comfortable around Luke; she was certain that any awkward moments between them were in the past. In this moment, however, Leia felt strangely nervous—like Luke was going to tell her something she didn’t want to hear. He had to have known at this point that she and Han were together. She and Luke hadn’t really talked about it, but she had assumed he knew, as it was quite obvious. As Luke opened his mouth to speak, Leia braced herself.

“I wanted to talk to you about this plan of ours,” Luke began.

“Okay.”

“How much do you know about Jabba the Hutt?”

“I know the Hutts basically run the underground world and have for years. Fortunately, I’ve never had any dealings with them.”

“Right. Neither have I. Chewbacca has though.”

“I would have assumed so,” Leia answered, wondering where this was leading.

“Well, Chewie told me some things just now that I think you need to be made aware of,” Luke said, leading her up a small sand dune.

“What’s that?” 

Luke hesitated.

“What, Luke?” Leia pressed.

“Jabba—he has slaves,” Luke began, still walking up the dune and now pointedly not looking at Leia.

“I would assume someone as powerful as him has slaves,” Leia replied.

“Yeah,” Luke said. “But not just any slaves. He has…female slaves.”

Luke stopped walking and was now looking at Leia, who, at first, did not understand. The realization dawned on her quickly after, and she shuttered.

“That’s awful,” she said, disgusted by the thought.

“It is. And the thing is, the thing Chewie—and me,” Luke added emphatically, “are worried about is—“

“Me,” Leia answered for him.

“Yes,” Luke confirmed as he now started downhill.

“I’ll be fine,” Leia said, following him down the hill. She didn’t feel fine though. The idea of somehow winding up a slave to slug made her stomach churn.

“If you want out, you can have out,” Luke told her. “Chewie is certain he can find someone in town, and we can pay for their assistance.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Leia responded, her temper rising.

“It was just a suggestion.”

“If you three idiots are putting your life in danger, then so am I,” Leia said resolutely.

“Okay,” Luke said as they got to the bottom of the dune. “Then that’s that.”

The suns were just starting to go down. Leia had to admit the sky was absolutely gorgeous. She told Luke as much.

“It’s the only thing I miss about this place,” Luke commented. “I read somewhere once that only three systems in the entire known galaxy have twins suns.”

“Well, you’re lucky then,” Leia said, allowing the sunset to momentarily calm her fears.

“I suppose so,” Luke replied. “Mind if we sit and watch the rest?”

“I’d like that,” Leia answered as she and Luke sat in the sand. “You know, you never really told us your side of the plan—just that you’d get us out of there.”

Luke laughed. “Yeah, I know.”

“Can you tell me what it is?”

“Can I be honest with you?” Luke asked.

“Of course,” Leia answered, looking at him intently.

“Well…I’m going to wing it.”

“You’re what?!” Leia exclaimed.

“I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve, but, mostly, I’m going to wing it.”

“Jedi tricks?” Leia inquired, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Maybe,” Luke answered, chuckling.

“Well, this oughta be interesting.”

“Yeah,” Luke agreed. “The way I see it though—we escaped the Death Star. After that, everything seems easy.”

Leia laughed. “You’re right on that point.”

As the temperature cooled, Luke and Leia remained sitting in the sand, mostly silent. Leia marveled at the beauty of the twin suns and felt grateful for the brief tranquil moment that she and Luke shared. A few days from now, things would go back to being hectic and dangerous, but tonight everything was peaceful.


	3. Chapter 3

“Luke!”

Leia ran to Luke as he approached the gathering party in a clearing of a forest on Endor. She embraced him, and he squeezed her back. Everything was exactly how it should be for the first time…ever.

“I knew you’d make it back,” Leia said as they pulled apart.

“Did you?”

“I felt it,” she responded earnestly. “Come, join the party!”

Leia grabbed his hand and started tugging him toward the others, but Luke stopped her. “Leia, we should talk later.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” Luke responded, smiling broadly. “I just…want to tell you what happened.”

“Okay, when the party dies down tonight, we’ll talk. Meet me on the bridge?” Leia suggested.

“Okay,” Luke agreed.

Luke enjoyed the party being thrown in celebration of their victory over the Empire. He managed to briefly get all the important details of what happened from Han. Wedge gave him some type of moonshine brewed by the Ewoks, which he had to admit wasn’t as bad as he expected it be. All in all, it was a good time, but he was definitely relieved when everyone started returning to their tents for the night. 

Luke made his way over to the bridge—the same bridge he had told Leia the truth about their heritage. When he got there, Leia was already there waiting, braiding her hair and looking out over the water.

“Hey,” he greeted.

“Hey,” Leia replied, turning around and smiling.

“I spoke to Han. He told me some bucket head shot you in the arm?”

Leia nodded and rubbed the spot where Luke presumed she was hit. “Yeah, but thanks to Han and some weird Ewok salve, it’s feeling better. Should probably get some bacta on it soon though.”

“Yeah,” Luke said as he leaned against the bridge next to Leia. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I’m glad you are too,” Leia told him, patting him on the back. “You are okay, right?”

“I am,” Luke answered. “I almost wasn’t, but I am.”

“What happened?” Leia asked.

Luke sighed. “Prepare yourself.”

“Okay.”

“I was captured immediately, just as I intended to be. I surrendered my lightsaber to—to Vader, and he brought me to the Emperor’s throne room.”

“You saw the Emperor?” Leia asked, stunned.

“Yes, and he was as awful and chilling as you’d think he’d be. He egged me on, got me to fight Vader. Vader tried to convince me the only way to save you all was to give myself to the dark side. He sensed my feelings for you specifically, Leia. He sensed that you were my sister. He told me he’d try to get you to join the dark side.”

Leia gasped but didn’t say anything. Luke could sense Leia’s feelings and tried to calm her with his own. 

“That made me angry—furious even—and I fought back, fought harder and with more fury in me than I knew I could conjure. But then I realized, if I continued like this, down this path, I’d become just like him.”

“So what did you do?”

“I surrendered,” Luke answered. “I threw my lightsaber on the ground and surrendered.” 

“No!” Leia gasped.

“Yes. The Emperor began striking me with this dark side force, this lightening.”

“And Vader just stood there?”

“At first,” Luke replied. “But I begged him. I called him ‘father,’ and I think that must have awakened something in him. He picked up the Emperor and threw him down this shaft.”

“He saved you,” Leia breathed.

“He saved me, Leia. It took everything last bit of energy he had, but he saved me. And I saved him.”

“What do you mean?” 

“When he died, he died as Anakin Skywalker. He came back to the light because he loved us.”

Leia, whose face had shone with awe up until this point, wrinkled her nose in what Luke sensed was bewilderment and a little bit of anger.

“Loved us?” she repeated in disbelief.

“Yes, Leia, he loved us. He wanted you to know that I was right about him, that he did have good left in him.”

“This is a lot to take in, Luke.”

“I know it is, but you must believe me,” Luke told her.

“I believe you, of course I believe you. But I still have to grapple with the fact that the man who was my father tortured me, authorized the destruction of my planet, tried to kill you, froze Han in carbonite, and killed countless others all throughout the galaxy.”

Luke nodded. He was at peace with what had happened because he was able to get closure, but Leia didn’t closure—and she never would. For the rest of her life, she’d have to rely on Luke’s words, and Luke knew that that was never going to be quite enough.

“I understand,” Luke responded. “But just know, in his last moments, he thought of us.”

Leia nodded and a tear fell down her cheek. Luke wiped it away for her, and Leia smiled slightly.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“You’re welcome,” Luke smiled. “I know all of this is hard to process, but, at the very least, we have each other now. We know that we’re not alone in the galaxy. You’re my sister, and I’m your brother. You’re my family.”

Leia smiled, and Luke could feel some of the hurt dissipate from his sister. He put his arm around her and squeezed her. Leia curled into Luke, and Luke then wrapped both of his arms around Leia.

They were now connected for the rest of their lives. Somehow Luke had known that in some way he shared a connection to Leia, but now he finally understood it. He was so grateful to know that he had family, and that he was not alone--that he'd never have to be alone again.


	4. Chapter 4

“How are you feeling?” 

Luke, who had been trying to rest in the med-bay, opened his eyes to see Leia standing in the doorway, looking anxious.

“The same as last time you asked,” Luke said, trying to fight the groan that he so desperately wanted to let out as he sat up in the small bed.

“And—and the hand?” 

Luke looked down at his new cybernetic hand and flexed his fingers. “Fine.”

Leia walked into the room and sat in the chair beside Luke’s bed. “You look well.”

Luke was trying to be understanding of Leia’s hovering. He knew she was distraught over Han and that trying to take care of Luke was her way of coping. It didn’t make her hovering any less annoying though.

“Thanks. How much longer ‘til we reach the the base?”

“The pilot says we’ll be there within the hour,” Leia responded as she played absentmindedly with the threadbare blanket on Luke’s bed. “Hopefully Mon Mothma will approve our side mission.”

Leia was referring to the mission Luke, Leia, Lando, and Chewie had started to plan almost immediately after Luke’s rescue from Cloud City. They intended on going to rescue Han from Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine.

“Well, if she doesn’t approve it, I’m going anyway,” Luke responded stubbornly.

Leia smiled. “Me too.”

“Can I ask you something? It might be strange...”

“Go ahead,” Leia said, looking at Luke curiously.

“You came back for me.”

“That’s not a question—“

“You came back for me. How did you—I mean, did you…sense it—me?”

Luke saw Leia’ face change from curiosity to bewilderment. 

“I—I did. I think I heard you. But that’s impossible, isn’t it?”

Luke grinned. “It’s not, Leia. I was calling out to you. And you heard me.”

“But what does that mean?” Leia asked.

“It could mean two things. It could mean I’ve gotten stronger in the Force, strong enough to reach out and be heard by others. Or it could mean, you can use the Force too. It’s possible that it even means both.”

“I don’t have the Force. I would have known that I did already,” Leia replied.

“I don’t think that’s true, Leia. I didn’t realize my ability until Obi-Wan helped me to channel it. If you did have it, I could help you channel it. If you wanted me to, that is.”

Leia shook her head. Luke could tell she was uncomfortable with the way the conversation was beginning to go, but he didn’t want Leia to discount the notion that she too could use the Force.

“I think I’ll pass,” Leia said, rather formally.

“I could just show you a few basic things. Just to see?”

“No, Luke,” Leia replied, more sternly.

Her voice was hard, and Luke sensed the bubbling anger that she was fighting to keep down.

“Well, if you ever want to—“

“I won’t,” Leia interrupted. “I’m sorry, but I won’t. Your skill is remarkable. Your desire to be a Jedi is admirable, and no one respects that more than I; however, I’ve seen the dark side too—the Sith. I used to hear rumors about it when I was younger. People in the imperial senate used to whisper that Vader was a Sith Lord, but I didn’t believe them. Why would I? I didn’t even think they existed anymore. But then—“

Leia’s voice broke, and she broke eye contact with Luke. 

“You don’t have to explain,” Luke told her.

“But then,” Leia continued, ignoring Luke’s out, “I found myself on the Death Star. And, as you know, Vader spent hours torturing me. He tortured me first with a droid, but when I wouldn’t give him what he wanted, he began to torture me through the Force. Or with the Force, I don’t know. The point is—I’ve seen the dark side. And though I’ve seen the light too, I want nothing to do with any of it.”

Tears were steadily streaming down Leia’s face, but she didn’t bellow with cries. Luke, having nothing else to offer, handed her his blanket. She accepted it with a small smile and dabbed at her face.

It pained Luke to think that Vader—the man who claimed to be his father—could cause such intense pain to one of the few people in this galaxy that he truly loved. Vader had hurt them all so much, and, if Vader was telling the truth, Luke couldn’t help but feel frightened that he might wind up down the same path as his father. It was in that moment, that he swore to himself and to Leia that he’d never follow Vader’s path.

“I promise you that I will only use the Force for good,” Luke told her, hoping it was the right thing to say.

“I know you will,” Leia responded, grinning through her tears.

“I’ve seen the dark side too now,” Luke said, raising his robotic hand slightly.

“I thought so,” Leia said, nodding. “I thought that’s what happened, but I didn’t want to ask. He’s evil. Pure evil.”

Luke could feel Leia’s rage, and it mixed with his own anger as well as the heartbreak he was currently experiencing due to the revelation he had received only hours before. If what Vader said was true, Luke could never tell anyone of his secret. Not even Han and Leia. They knew he was training to be a Jedi, but if they knew his father was a Sith Lord, they’d…what? Kill him? Luke didn’t know, and didn’t want to guess either. It didn’t matter. He would die with this secret.

The com sounded from above. “Jumping out of hyperspace in two.”

“Well, here we go,” Leia said, rubbing her hands together. 

Luke smiled, reached out with his real hand, and grabbed Leia’s. “Here we go.”


	5. Chapter 5

When Leia was admitted to the med center in the early stages of labor, she had Han send a holovid to Luke letting him know. Since Endor, she’d been in and out of touch with Luke, who was running all over the galaxy, searching for old Jedi lore. Now, almost a year later, she was hoping he’d return to Chandrilla for the birth of her child.

Luke would have been proud. During her contractions, Leia attempted to use the little she knew about the Force to focus and stay calm. Han tried to talk to her, but Leia would just shush him.

Between contractions, she felt a peculiar lightness within her chest. It was a feeling she’d felt occasionally over the past nine or so months, and she thought she recognized it as Luke sending his love to her. She reached out to the feeling and tried to reciprocate it out, though she was never quite sure if Luke was receiving her responses.

Finally, after hours, Leia and Han had a beautiful baby boy with a smattering of jet-black hair.

“What should we name him?” Leia asked Han.

“Well, I don’t have any family,” Han stated, “So I don’t have any family names. How about you pick.”

“Okay, I will. I’ll have to give it some thought though,” Leia responded, beaming down at her son in her arms before a yawn broke her smile.

“Somebody’s tired,” Han commented, laughing.

Leia chuckled. “I think we’re all tired. It’s been a long day for all three of us. Would you mind putting him in his basinet? Then maybe we can all nap for a bit.”

Han took their son from Leia and put him in the crib beside her bed. He went to go lay on the couch, but Leia stopped him.

“Han, home is ten minutes from here. Go get some sleep in a real bed.”

Han looked at her dubiously, and Leia laughed. “I’m serious. We’ve been here for hours.”

“A full day, actually,” Han remarked.

“A full day?” Leia exclaimed. She had clearly lost track of time. “All the more reason for you to go home. Nothing’s going to change here.”

“If you insist,” Han said. 

“I insist,” Leia replied warmly.

“Okay. I’ll be back in a few hours. Four hours tops.”

“Okay,” Leia said. “Good night.”

“Actually, it’s good morning,” Han told her as he kissed Leia, took another look at his baby boy, and headed home. Leia watched him leave and, not soon after, she fell asleep.

Hours later, Leia woke up to the sight of her brother holding her sleeping son in his arms.

“Luke!” Leia whispered. “Hi.”

“Hey. He’s beautiful, Leia.”

“He is, isn’t he?”

“He really is,” Luke agreed.

“So, you got Han’s holo?” Leia asked.

“I did, but I was already on the way.”

“How’d you know then?” 

“I felt it,” Luke told her. “I knew this little guy was on his way.”

“I hope you didn’t feel those awful contractions,” Leia chuckled, fully sitting up in her bed.

Luke shook his head and looked momentarily squeamish. “No, thank the stars I did not.”

“So, are you back now?” Leia asked, changing the subject.

“Only for a few days,” Luke replied, much to Leia’s disappointment.

“A few days? Luke, we miss you!”

“I miss you too, of course, but I’m in the middle of something big here,” Luke told her. “He’s starting to stir, do you want to hold him?”

Leia nodded, and Luke got up from his chair and carefully handed the infant to her. Leia cuddled her son in her arms and the twins sat in silence for a few moments before Leia spoke again.

“Do you think you’ll ever come back?” Leia asked.

“Not permanently,” Luke responded, looking somewhat guilty.

Leia frowned. “What does that mean?”

“It means I’ll be back to visit, but my home won’t be here.”

“Where will it be then?” Leia asked.

“I’m looking for the right place. It’ll be where I revive the Jedi order. I want to build a temple there.”

“As long as you visit,” Leia said. “I finally learn that I have a brother, and moments later he’s off traipsing across the galaxy.”

Luke chuckled. “I’ll visit, of course. Not only do I have a sister and brother-in-law now, I have a nephew now too.”

“A nephew with no name,” Leia said, grinning.

“You and Han haven’t named him yet?”

“Han told me that I should choose the name.”

“And have you decided on anything yet?” Luke asked.

“I haven’t,” Leia answered. “Any suggestions?”

“I might have one,” Luke said, with a twinkle in his eye.

“Well?” 

“How about you name him after the man who brought all of us together?”

Confused, Leia looked at Luke in bewilderment for a moment before it dawned on her, and she grinned broadly.

“Ben?”

“Ben,” Luke said.

Leia looked down at the child in her arms and knew it was the right name. She’d have to confirm it with Han, of course, but she was certain he’d agree to the name; after all, Obi-Wan “Ben” Kenobi brought Han to the Death Star—to Leia—as well.

Han returned a few minutes later, and the three friends soaked in each other’s company. It had, after all, been nine months since they’d seen each other. Luke told Leia and Han very little about his explorations, but Leia didn’t mind. She knew his destiny was different than hers, and she knew he’d tell her what he felt was important for her to know.

Surrounded by the love of her husband, brother, and newborn son, Leia felt a peacefulness she wasn’t used to feeling. She knew it wouldn’t last forever, but she hoped it would last for a while.


	6. Chapter 6

It was cold—colder than Luke thought was even possible. The rebellion had been on Hoth for just under a standard a month, and, as the rebels were quickly learning, it was nearly impossible to get warm. What made matters worse: the dropping temperatures caused tempers to climb rapidly. Mild mannered rebels, like Luke, were finding themselves snapping at their friends and occasionally their superiors, while rebels with not-so-mild temperaments, like Leia and Han, were constantly irate.

On this particular evening, Leia and Luke sat in the Millennium Falcon, while Han tinkered around. The three often spent downtime on the Falcon as it was less crowded and a little quieter. Leia had just finished practicing the speech she had been preparing to give to Mon Mothma, General Madine, and the admirals about a strategy she had constructed. Leia had just recently been given more authority, and she was quite anxious about proving herself.

“It sounds great to me, Leia,” Luke told her when she finished reading. “I think they’ll go for it.”

Leia beamed at him and then turned to look at Han, who was polishing up something on the ceiling of the ship.

“Han?”

“It’s good,” he replied simply.

“Just good? Were you even paying attention?”

Here we go again, Luke thought. 

“Well, your worshipfulness, do you want my real opinion? Or do you just want me to tell you what you want to hear?”

“I want your real opinion, of course,” Leia answered, standing from the table. Her hands were placed firmly on her hips.

“I think it’s long and a bit repetitive. And you use such fancy language. I mean, a lot of the people you’re giving this speech to—except for Mon and a few others—are just normal folks, remember? You’re not making speeches in the Imperial senate anymore.”

Luke could tell that Han’s last sentence was deliberately flippant, and he knew Leia did too.

“Excuse me?” Leia spat back.

Han now turned from the work he was doing and looked straight at her. “You’re dealing with a bunch of rebels now, not those senators you’re used to dealing with. You can talk plain.”

This fight, which already seemed silly, was going to escalate, Luke knew, and he had the distinct feeling that neither of them realized he was sitting there anymore.

“This is just how I—one of those stuck-up senators—speak, Han,” Leia retorted. Luke thought smoke might actually start coming out of her ears. “It’s how I’ve always spoken. And I think Mon, Madine, and the rest will appreciate how seriously I take this.”

Han groaned. “I never called you stuck-up—“

“You implied it,” Leia interrupted. 

“I did not,” Han replied, finally raising his voice in anger. For his part, Luke wasn’t sure whether Han had implied that Leia had been a snobby senator. He knew that he didn’t actually mean it though. Han was probably just trying to get under Leia’s skin, if anything. “And I’m not saying you don’t take this seriously, princess, I’m just saying if it were me—“

“Well, it’s not you!”

“Then why did you ask for my opinion, damnit?!” Han shouted and then stormed out of the ship.

“Kriff!” Leia swore and then banged her fists on the nearest table—the table Luke just happened to be sitting at.

“I’m going to go…” Luke muttered awkwardly, rising from the table.

“Wait—no, I’m sorry,” Leia said. “Don’t you go too.”

Luke was hesitant to stick around. He always wound up in the middle of Han and Leia’s fights, and, frankly, he hated it. Their constant bickering made him mad, and the last thing he wanted was to get involved in their squabbling. He usually managed to slink away quietly either in the middle of the fight or in its immediate aftermath; he really didn’t want to have to deal with this.

“I’ve got some stuff to do,” Luke responded, his excuse weak.

“No, you don’t,” Leia told him. “I know your schedule. I know everyone’s schedules, remember?”

“What if I just don’t want to be here right now?” Luke said, though he immediately regretted it. Leia’s eyes, which were previously fiery, had grown wet.

“Okay,” she replied, her voice low. “I’ll see you around.”

“Alright, Leia. I’m sorry. I won’t go; just have a seat.”

Leia sat down at the table per Luke’s suggestion and then put her head in her hands. “I don’t know what gets into me when it comes to him.”

Still feeling uneasy, Luke patted Leia on the back. “Tempers are high and patience is thin,” he offered, though Leia didn’t seem to hear him.

“It’s like…I think I might enjoy picking fights with him. That is, until he gets really mad and storms off like that.”

“Do you know why that is?”

“Why what is?” Leia asked, looking up at Luke.

“Why you enjoy picking fights with him,” Luke replied.

Leia shrugged. “I’ve never really given it much thought. I guess maybe it’s because fighting with him allows me to release some of the pent up anger I’m constantly feeling.”

Luke nodded. “Makes sense.”

Leia looked at Luke fondly. “I’m really glad I met you two, you know? And not just because you rescued me. The two of you are real friends.”

“I’m glad I met you two as well,” Luke responded, wondering where Leia was going with this.

“Neither of you treat me like a princess, which I love. I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up, you know? Being a princess could be quite isolating on Alderaan. Turns out it’s not much different in the rebellion. But both of you, almost since day one, have just treated me like just another rebel.”

Luke smiled. He had seen the way the other rebels stood up a little straighter when Leia walked by or even saluted her. She always handled those moments with grace, but he suspected that it was tiring for her on top of all the other duties she had to do.

“We didn’t have royalty on Tatooine,” Luke told Leia. “I never really knew how you were supposed to act around a princess anyway.”

Leia chuckled. “Well, you’re acting just fine around this princess.”

Luke blushed and quickly changed the topic back to what they were discussing before. “So are you going to apologize later?” 

“Probably not,” Leia replied, and Luke noticed some of the spark had returned to her eyes.

“You don’t think you should?”

“We never apologize,” Leia told him, shaking her head. “We just act like it never happened.”

“Oh,” Luke said, thinking that was weird.

“Yeah. We just need to give each other some space for a little while.”

“Seems like if you want to move past all this fighting, maybe you two should apologize to one another and talk it out,” Luke said, treading carefully. He knew Leia, of all people, didn’t like being told what to do.

“You might be right,” Leia mumbled. Luke suspected she was just saying that to appease him.

“I’m right occasionally. Never as much as you though,” Luke joked.

Leia looked at Luke and grinned. “That’s two things you’re right about.”

Leia stopped speaking, but Luke could tell she still had something on her mind. He nudged her with his shoulder. “What?”

Leia sighed and looked down at the table. “It’s not just what I said before. I like that he challenges me. He makes me doubt myself in a way that both scares me and thrills me.”

“I don’t understand.”

“In the moment, like with what just happened, he makes me doubt myself in a way that scares me. It’s like he makes me double check my intuition to ensure that it’s leading me in the right direction. But then, after the fight’s over, like right now, I get this delayed thrill because I realize that either my intuition was right all along or he stopped me from making a stupid and sometimes, given the circumstances, dangerous mistake. He challenges me, you see?”

“Yeah,” Luke nodded. “I understand.”

Leia chuckled a little, more to herself than to Luke, and he looked at her curiously, waiting to hear what she has to say. “Was Han right about my speech?” 

“He might be,” Luke said quietly. “I don’t really know how you’re supposed to address people. I’m just a farm boy.”

He felt weirdly self-conscious in that moment, as if his answer wasn’t enough for Leia. Luke didn’t challenge her in the way that Han did. Not only was it not who Luke was, but he also felt like he typically didn’t have enough life experience to be a valuable voice in those types of conversations.

Leia smiled at Luke, as if she had read his mind, and it became her turn to nudge him with her shoulder. “I’m grateful for you too, you know? Sometimes it’s important to be challenged, but other times…other times it’s important to just be. And when I’m around you, I feel like I can just be. I don’t know how to describe it, but you remind me of home.”

Luke looked over at Leia who was staring at him intensely. She had articulated a feeling that Luke had felt about her almost since the day he met her. They shared something that went deeper than both being orphans of war. It was a bond that Luke felt so strongly, that, at times, it unnerved him because he didn’t understand it.

Leia broke eye contact with Luke, looked down, and shook her head almost sheepishly. “Is that weird?” 

Luke sensed that she might have felt as if she shared too much. “Not at all. I understand exactly how you feel because I feel the same way.”

Leia looked up again and her eyes were glistening with tears. “Thank you, Luke. Thank you.”

She pulled Luke into a hug, and they held each other for a moment. Luke broke off the hug and smiled. “I’ll always be here for you, whenever you need me. Just do me one favor, okay?”

“Sure,” Leia said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “What is it?”

“Can you two please keep the fighting to a minimum when I’m in the room?”

Leia laughed wholeheartedly. “I’ll work on that.”

“Thanks,” Luke said, standing from the table. “Now I really do have to go. I’ve got a meeting with the other pilots about proper X-wing maintenance.”

“I know,” Leia grinned. “Have a good meeting. Thanks again.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has references to Bloodline. If you haven't read it, PICK IT UP AND DO SO IMMEDIATELY. It's fantastic.

Luke, along with R2-D2, arrived at Leia and Han’s apartment, high up in the skies of Hosnian Prime. He hadn’t been here in years, and he was sickened by the reason he was here now. But he had to tell them.

 

He knocked on their door, and, moments later, Han answered.

 

“Luke—”

 

“Han, I—“

 

“Is that him? Is that Ben?” Luke heard Leia shout in a somewhat frantic tone from somewhere inside the apartment.

 

“It’s Luke,” Han replied.

 

Leia appeared at the door, looking panicked and frazzled; Luke could tell she already knew why he was there.

 

“Luke, where’s Ben? What happened?”

 

“Leia, let’s let him inside,” Han said, and Luke observed that Han didn’t look much better than Leia.

 

Han opened the door fully so that Luke and the droid could come in. The three settled at the kitchen table, and finally Luke began to speak.

 

“It got out,” Luke sighed, looking right at Leia.

 

“The world knows now,” Leia nodded, tears in her eyes.

 

The galaxy now knew that Darth Vader was Luke and Leia’s father, but, more importantly, Ben now knew. Despite Luke’s better judgment, Leia had asked Luke not to tell Ben that Vader was his grandfather; she said she’d tell him when the right time came. Unfortunately for all of them, a misguided senator—influenced by a particularly cruel senator—announced Luke and Leia’s paternity to the galaxy before that right time came.

 

“Ben and a few students were off on an assignment,” Luke told them. “They came back, and they knew.”

 

“What happened, Luke?” Han asked.

 

Luke swallowed hard. “They destroyed it—everything.”

 

“They?” Leia asked, almost in a whimper.

 

“Ben and the students who were with him. They burned down the temple and they…”

 

Luke didn’t finish the sentence, but he could tell he didn’t need to. Leia had sensed what had happened, and now, being so close to Luke again she was able to feel his feelings and confirm it. Han, however, didn’t know and looked blankly at both Luke and Leia.

 

“They did what?” Han asked.

 

“They killed the other students,” Leia said, her voice almost hollow.

 

“He couldn’t have!” Han replied angrily. “He’s a temperamental kid, sure, but killing other students? That’s not Ben!”

 

“This was exactly what I was afraid of,” Leia said, emotion—a great deal of it—finally entering her voice.

 

“I know, Leia, and I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

 

“You were supposed to watch over him!” Han shouted as he rose from the table. “We sent him to you because we thought you could prevent this!”

 

“I have failed you both,” Luke responded. “I am so sorry.”

 

“Well, what are you going to do about it?” Han asked.

 

Luke had determined what his next course of action was, but he knew his sister and Han were not going to support it. They would think it’s too passive. The valiant general and princess would not stand behind this docile decision.

 

“I’m going away.”

 

“You’re what?!” Han and Leia both bellowed in unison. At this point, Han was pacing the kitchen, but Leia remained seated at the table with Luke.

 

“If you remember, after the war ended, I went looking for old Jedi lore. But eventually I stopped to start training new Jedi. I thought I had enough knowledge to pass on what needed to be passed on.”

 

“Obviously you didn’t,” Han commented harshly.

           

Luke grimaced at the biting remark. “You’re right. I didn’t. I gave up on finding the first Jedi temple because it began to seem pointless. I had searched hundred of planets in those first few years and couldn’t find anything. But now I think I need to continue the search. I think answers to the right path lie there.”  

 

“But what about Ben?” Leia asked.

 

“He took off,” Luke said. “He and the students who destroyed the temple took off in their ship.”

 

“He has a ship? Well, maybe if he hadn’t been allowed to go off on his own in his own ship—since when does Ben have a ship?” Han asked, but before Luke could answer, Leia spoke.

 

“It doesn’t matter how he got the damn ship, Han. What matters is what we do now.”

 

“He’s chosen his path, Leia. He’s done for,” Han replied, and, with that, he walked out the kitchen through the front room, and out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

 

“He doesn’t believe that,” Leia said, her voice cracking. “He can’t believe that.”

 

“Leia, I’m so sorry,” Luke said, grabbing his sister’s hands from across the table and squeezing them.

 

“I just—I don’t know what to do. I’ve resigned from the senate—“

 

“You’ve what?” Luke asked in shock.

 

“I quit after the Vader incident. I started this movement—the Resistance. The senate ‘supports’ it, but we’re pretty much on our own, trying to get intelligence on these terrorist pods that we suspect are all somehow linked. You don’t think Ben could be involved in them, do you?”

 

“I don’t know, Leia,” Luke answered honestly. “I do know someone’s been teaching him about the Dark side though. What I saw from him is nothing he could have learned from me.”

 

“Did you suspect it?” Leia asked.

 

“Only once,” Luke replied truthfully. “A couple months ago, Ben and another student were sparring with their light sabers, and Ben got too aggressive. It frightened me, but the moment passed so quickly, I thought almost nothing of it.”

 

Now in retrospect, Luke wondered why he had not been more alarmed. He felt ashamed that he hadn’t been able to see the darkness in his nephew growing and stopped in before it culminated in the destruction that it had. Leia probably hated him—and rightfully so.

 

As if Leia read his mind (and she very well may have), she squeezed Luke’s hands. “I don’t blame you. Neither does Han.”

 

“I wouldn’t be mad if either of you did. I deserve it,” Luke told her.

 

“You don’t deserve to be blamed for this, Luke. It’s not your fault, and we both know that. Han storming out just now? That’s not because of you. He’s always been on edge with Ben, ever since Ben was a child.”

 

“I never knew that,” Luke said.

 

Leia smiled sadly. “You weren’t around much.”

 

Luke nodded, and they sat in silence for a moment before Luke spoke again. “I’m sorry, Leia. I know you say you don’t blame me, but you need to know how sorry, how heartbroken I am over this.”

 

“I only wish you’d stay,” Leia said. “We could use your help. _I_ could use your help.”

 

“I’ll be back one day,” Luke replied.

 

“The three of us can bring Ben back,” Leia told him.

 

“And we will. But I think part of me making this right is me going away to search for answers.”

 

“I know,” Leia responded. “I believe you. Just promise me you’ll be back?”

 

“I will,” Luke answered. And he meant it. He had no intention of leaving Leia and Han high and dry for an indefinite amount of time.

 

“Will you keep in touch?” Leia asked.

 

Luke shook his head. “I can’t risk Ben or his…followers finding me. I’m leaving Artoo with you as well.”

 

Luke watched as his sister glanced over at the little droid who had been sitting quietly in the corner through all of this.

 

“Together again?”

 

Artoo chirped in response, and Luke smiled softly. “We’ll see each other again, Leia. We’ll bring Ben back together.”

 

“I hope you’re right,” Leia replied as Luke stood from the table.

 

“Tell Han how sorry I am.”

 

“You’re leaving now?” Leia asked, her eyes going wide.

 

Luke approached his sister and pulled her up from her seat at the table. “I am. I fear my being here may put you in danger.”

 

“Luke, please,” Leia said softly. Luke knew she wasn’t asking for one specific thing. She was asking for many things. _Please don’t go. Please have answers. Please help me bring Ben back. Please return to us._

“I love you, Leia,” Luke told his sister as he pulled her into a hug. Immediately, he felt the luminous feeling radiate between himself and Leia. He had felt it whenever he hugged his sister, ever since they discovered the truth about their relationship.

 

“I love you too,” Leia answered.

 

The brother and sister remained in each other’s embrace for a long time before Leia finally broke the hug. “I’ll be seeing you.”

 

Luke nodded. “You will.”

 

Leia walked Luke to the door, and they embraced one more time. Luke let go first this time and put his hands on his sister’s shoulders. They didn’t say anything to each other, but they didn’t need to. Both sensed what the other felt completely. Luke eventually let go of Leia’s shoulders, smiled once more, and walked out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always intended for this to be the last little one-shot of this series. I still have a few other ideas that I tried writing out for this fic, but after months I haven't been able to finish them; the inspiration isn't quite there. All that to say, this one-shot will likely be the last chapter. And hopefully, our favorite space twins will get to see each other again in TLJ.

**Author's Note:**

> It's been almost ten years since I've shared anything I've written, and I'm quite rusty, so be patient with me. I just have a lot of feelings about the Skywalkers and wanted to share in case anyone else adores them as I do.


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